Be Connected to Community

1. Introduction

I have a simple word to bring today. But in order to bring it I need to lay a deep foundation. I don’t apologise for this. Because I hope to once more bring an encouragement for us all to stand against one of the greatest evils of our age. It is an evil almost unique to our age. In that the Devil has achieved something in the world that has been brewing for generations.

The great evil is separation. Separation a topic I have dealt with before and will I expect return to again.

But let me begin at the beginning- Yes Genesis.

Lets look at Chapter 1

V3 Let there be…

V6 Let there be…

V9 Let the…

V11 Let the…

V14 Let the…

V 20 Let the..

V 24 Let the

But now lets pause and look @ verse 26

Ge 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

Does anyone notice the difference in the manner of the creation of man.

He deliberately chooses to express himself in Trinity at this point in order to make this fundamental declaration- IN OUR IMAGE not in my image or even that God made man in his image-

IN OUR IMAGE.

What is wonderful about this is that it speaks of a relational God. There is community in God. And we as his creatures are designed to be creatures of community.

Another example of God’s commitment to relationship is found in the very next chapter in Genesis 2.

Ge 2:24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

2. Jesus reveals the relationship in the Godhead

The model of connectedness in the Trinity is the model for us

We are made in the image of God- In the image of the trinity.

As the trinity relates so should we

How does the trinity relate- Lets have a look at John 14

“If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

Jn 14:24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

Jn 14:25 “All this I have spoken while still with you.

Jn 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

There is something so very special here that we can seek to imitate.

The son communicates to the father The father listens and accepts the son. The son is listening to father and is agreeing together with him. The Spirit identifies with both the father and the son reminds us of what he says.

Some words from that sentence

Communication

Listening

Accepting

Agreement

Identifies

reminds

So from both Genesis & John 14 we learn that a fundamental part of our make up is relational.

I know that

Because we are made in His image

It is one of the strongest weopns of the enemy-
That which disconnects us from others.

The damage and pain of disconnectedness.

3. Staying Connected

Can you turn to my favourite Chapter in the Bible Paul’s letter to Colossi Chapter 3 We’ll start at verse 12.